Ch 11- Toxic Sludge

This chapter actually hit close to home with me. Before I cam to college, I thought I might want to be a journalist. I took a journalism course.....and hated pretty much every minute of it. Just wasn't my style of writing. I like to take my time, chose my words carefully, use adjectives, and save all the good stuff for the end. Needless to say, I no longer want to be a journalist. Even though I know longer dream to be in a newsroom, the journalism chapter definitely opened my eyes to some of the corruptions occurring there. I thought it was really interesting that major corporations like Disney and Time-Warner are actually buying media outlets. I know we have to constantly question the media, but now I wonder how much we have to question it. Small town newspapers have so much character. It is a shame to imagine that they are being bought by large corporations.
I also thought that the VNR's used by PR firms to promote something was pretty slick. The idea of taping/editing/sending a perfectly doctored tape to be broadcast on a news station is genius. While this practice may seem unethical because it isn't actually showing a "live" or "real" story, it is an easy way to self promote. PR firms realize that small news station don't have the money to review and edit the original tape by themselves, so by sending them a copy good-to-go, they know their material will get aired.
This chapter made some really interesting points about journalism and news media. I will definitely keep in mind that many PR firms and large corporations are in control of the news we hear.

Toxic Sludge-Ch 10

Once again, very hard to get through these chapters. Why do they have to be so dry? I'm not saying they aren't informative, and somewhat interesting, but they are pretty brutal. The only part that I found to be of most interest was the part titled "Suffer the Little Children." I remembering hearing the story about the Iraqi soldiers killing the Iraqi babies by having them "torn from incubators and left on cold hospital floors to die" somewhere before, so this chapter did a good job at explaining the lie. I just think it is absolutely disgusting that a person could make up a rumor like this! While there may have been an incident of miscommunication, it is still a pretty horrific tale. A lie like this not only makes the liar look bad, but the whole party surrounding that person. Americans gave themselves a negative reputation after this lie was exposed. Many people even believe that this lie may have been a huge factor in the decision to go to war with Iraq. While this may or may not be true, it is very scary to think a whole war may have been influenced by a lie. Lies, not matter how big or small need to be exposed. If we allow ourselves to believe everything we hear, we are never going stay "UN Spun." A lie is a lie. We must always check for facts!

Staying unSpun

I thought this final chapter was a very great way to end the book. The beginning section on Hooida was so informative and so true. Because people today are so diet obsessed, they will buy almost anything that promises a quick fix for their troubles. My best friend bought diet pills off of a facebook ad. A FACEBOOK AD! These pills promised quick results and were "reportedly" used by celebrities. I think it's hilarious what some people will do and believe to lose weight. After reading this book, I am definitely going to try my hardest to follow their number one advice "respect facts." It can be rather difficult in our society to take the time to check facts and yet, to actually find the truth. There are so many versions of the truth. If everyone took the time to make sure what they said was true, it would be a heck of a lot easier to trust people. Facts are important. Whether it is the truth about a diet pill, a blender, or potato chips, honestly is truly the best policy because a person's health and safety can be involved.
Chapters 7, 8, and 9 of Toxic Sludge had some very interesting information and stories, however, like I said before, I find this book rather dull and hard to get through. Grassroots campaigning is a lot more involved than I ever knew. It is amazing to think that "common people" can be guilty of propaganda just as much as the politicians and people they work for. The part is chapter 8 about plumbing was pretty amusing. As much as the government is trying to fix the pollution problem, I still feel as if it needs a lot of work. The chapters in Toxic Sludge providing some really interesting information about the corruption and propaganda occurring in our society. I'm glad this book has opened my eyes to some of these tragedies.